


I Can't Believe It's You

by gay_luigi



Category: B: The Beginning (Anime)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, M/M, NSFW, Pining, Potential violence, Reference to Drugs, Smut, Violence, death mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 17:23:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15199742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_luigi/pseuds/gay_luigi
Summary: Kieth wants answers, and his impatience leads him to taking some alternative methods of figuring out what happened. It takes a turn he wasn't expecting. Canon divergent, lots of spoilers, I'll try to keep some things on track with canon events. I thought these two would be cute before I finished the series :')





	I Can't Believe It's You

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Goodnight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14279259) by [Bananas45](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bananas45/pseuds/Bananas45). 



> introduction. They get a little drunk and a little into their feelings.

"Well, you're always welcome if you want some weak coffee." Kieth huffs, and though he seems unamused Gilbert can tell he appreciated his little joke. It's been years since he's seen him, and his sudden visit came as a surprise, though certainly not an unwelcome one.  
  
"I should show you how to make real coffee," the scruffy detective replies, his focus mainly on the pattern of the floor. 

"Maybe I'll take you up on that sometime." Gilbert gives him a warm smile. He has to keep up the act if he wants to keep his cover down. Oh, how he'd love to show Kieth his little hideaway, see the horror and the disbelief on his face. It's impossible to know if the detective is onto him, though, and he can't be too careful. Beating Kieth is more important than his morbid satisfaction.

They chat briefly before the detective heads out, throwing the man a pack of cigarettes before he disappears out the door. Was it that easy to tell he was lying? Shit. All the more reason to be careful around him, now that he's back in town.

 

\--- 

 

Standing out in the cold evening air, Gilbert lights his cigarette and takes a deep inhale.   
  
"Oh, _Erika_."  
  
Kieth jolts up, putting the headphones attached to his computer on all the way. He'd nearly fallen asleep; he'd almost convinced himself that Gilbert was innocent, listening to him drive home in silence after a long day of uneventful paperwork. Hearing his sister's name immediately puts him on edge, however, and his brow furrows as he listens closer to Gilbert talking over the bugged cigarette case.  
  
"To think we'd be reunited so soon. What do you think he's thinking?... A redundant question, you're right."  
  
There's a long silence.  
  
"I guess we'll see. Don't worry too much about him, hm?"

 _What is he talking about?_  Kieth huffs in irritation, slumping back into his chair. Erika.  _Erika._  He used her name. He has to know something.

He can't let this slip through his fingers. Not again. Not this time.

His conscience nags at him momentarily-- what about Killer B? The investigation? Eric?  
  
It'll have to wait. He won't  _abandon_  his work, of course. He'll just... have to keep a closer eye on Gilbert in his free time. There's got to be a way to figure it out. It's right in front of him. The killer can help him in some ways, he's sure; but it's not going to resolve itself right away. It's going to take a lot of time and investigation to figure out who he is, what's going on. He's got an inkling of an idea of who it might be and what the symbols mean, but it's not a full-on lead.  
  
He slams his fist onto the table. He wants answers. God, he just wants to figure this all out and be done with it.

There has to be a faster way. No, there _is_ a faster way. And it's Gilbert. He'll confront him- No. He'll get him to trust him, and then trick him into revealing himself.

 _It's risky_ , he tells himself. Irrational. What if it doesn't work? If Gilbert suspects he knows something, he could take off. Disappear. He'd never be able to catch him- he'd be chasing after him for the rest of his life.

But it's worth a shot. So long as he doesn't say anything too revealing, he might be able to pull it off. He'll keep it quiet. He'll keep to himself, like he always does. It'll work.  _It has to work._

 

_\---_

 

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon." The doctor gives Kieth one of his forced grins, making an effort to come off as calm. He was hoping to have a day to himself down in the morgue. Just him, the cadavers, and Erika. A perfect Friday night.

"Yeah, well." Kieth crosses his arms, his hip against his colleague's desk. 

"Well?" Gilbert leans forward, his arms folded beneath his chin as his grin grows a little wider.

"Well."

He laughs, the sound of it gentle. To him, it feels uncharacteristic; he's spent his entire life hiding his secret. His shame. His  _pleasure_.

"I know you didn't come here for nothing, Kieth."

He looks down, remaining silent for a moment. 

"No."

"So why are you here?" He looks at him, eyes curious.  _Why have you come here again, Flick? To do some digging?_

It takes him a while to return Gilbert's stare, and even then, he sees confliction in his dark green eyes.

"I thought we could catch up," he finally offers, his tone nonchalant. The doctor's brow raises.

"That's terribly sweet of you," he says, resting one of his hands on the desk as he drums his fingers on the surface a few times. "I suppose I could make time for dinner before I have to be home."

"Do you have a curfew?" He snorts, the unspoken tension in the air dissipating.

"No, no. I just want to enjoy my day off tomorrow." 

"Alright." Gilbert stands, setting the pen he'd been writing with on the desk and begins to move. Kieth follows him shortly after, and the two walk side by side. Were it not for Erika's death and the role both of them played in it, this would be a heartwarming reunion. 

"I'll give you a ride," the doctor offers, pulling his keys out of his pocket as they approach the parking lot. He opens the door and unlocks the other side, and the detective gets in, leaning against his door with a bored expression. This all seems impromptu... What is he planning? Gilbert has to fight with himself to settle the rush of being so close to Kieth. "Where to?"

"I'm strapped for cash right now. I guess we can go to my apartment." Gilbert begins to drive off, glancing at the detective while he's not paying attention.

"I take it we're having gumbo for dinner, then?"

He smirks, a hand going to his chin. "Or maybe I'll show you how to actually make coffee."

The two of them share a brief laugh.

"Isn't coffee is the opposite of what we should be drinking on a Friday night? I must say, you've calmed down quite a bit since University."

Kieth rolls his head to the side, staring out the window. "We could stop by the liquor store, if you're so worried about wasting your night out."

He bites his lip. What is he getting himself into?

"I wouldn't be opposed."

"Then it's settled." This is good. If Gilbert is drunk, maybe he'll open up a little bit... Maybe he can even get a confession out of him. He'll have to set up a bug while he's not paying attention. It's far-fetched, but it's worth a shot.

 

\--- 

 

At the liquor store, Kieth goes in and out, not wanting to waste any time with formalities. He grabs a bottle of rum, two shot glasses, and puts them on the counter. The cashier rings him up and hands him his receipt after the detective pays him off, and with that he's out the door and into the car again.

The remainder of the drive is quiet. They don't speak until they're heading up Kieth's stairs, and even then it's unimportant drivel. He opens his door, pushing it further open for Gilbert as he leans against the frame.

The doctor laughs, walking inside, taking his shoes off, and looking around. So this is where he lives, huh? It's not much, but he's never taken Kieth to be materialistic. 

The investigator sets the rum and glasses on the counter, absent-mindedly starting on dinner while his old friend stands in the center of the room.

"Make yourself at home," he mumbles. Gilbert sits down at the man's table, hands folded together on the wood as he watches Kieth work. He's methodical even in his cooking, dicing up ingredients and dumping them in the pot. While the gumbo boils he pulls out his coffeemaker, giving the doctor a knowing look as he puts the filter and grounds in the top. Gilbert smirks. It's somewhat genuine, to his surprise.  
  
"This is how you make coffee," he states, pouring hot water over the grounds slowly. Some time passes before the stew is done, and Kieth fills two bowls, setting one before his guest. He sets the two shot glasses and the rum on the table, getting two coffee mugs and the filled pot as well, finally sitting down to eat.

"This was nice of you, Kieth." The doctor smiles again, taking his first bite as he watches the other. It's been ages since they've sat down like this-- He's almost sure the last time was when Erika was still alive. He wonders if that bothers Kieth at all. It's not present on his face, if it does.

"Mhm," he manages, his mouth full as he nods a little. They eat in silence. Kieth pours two shots once he's finished his food, and Gilbert reaches for his glass as he chews his last mouthful. They both hold their glasses up, clink them together, and down their drinks. It burns, and Kieth shakes his head a little. 

"Another?" He's surprised Gilbert is so eager to offer. He nods, however, pouring another drink for the two of them. 

This goes on for a while. By the time Kieth is aware of how much he's been drinking, the bottle is almost empty, his head swimming from the alcohol. He and Gilbert make idle chat, laughing about the "good old days" when they were in school together. Tests, the occasional party, studying for hours until the sun rose outside of their rooms... It's nice to reminisce. Kieth stops the conversation as he feels the topic of his sister approaching, however, curious to hear what Gilbert could possibly have to say but terrified of getting emotional about her death in front of him. He can't show weakness.  _Especially_  not now. 

As he goes quiet, so does Gilbert, and the two of them stare at each other for a moment. He doesn't know what to say. It seems his colleague doesn't either. Think, Kieth. You brought him here to get a confession. Did he set up the bug? He can't remember. He's having a hard time just looking at the other man.

"About Erika," Gilbert starts, trying his best to look empathetic. He knows it's a sensitive subject, and watching his colleague's face contort almost gives him the same satisfaction of twisting a knife. Kieth's brows furrow. He grimaces at Gilbert before looking somewhere else, rubbing the hair on his chin. 

"Let's not."

"Kieth--"

" _I don't want to talk about it_."

"I'm sorry."

He snorts, indignant as he rolls his eyes. "What are you sorry for?" Did he kill her? Is this what he was waiting for?

"I loved her too, you know."

 _Like hell you did_ , he thinks to himself.

"Yeah, okay."

He doesn't believe him. Why did he even say that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Regardless, he'll have to work on getting Keith's trust back. Maybe he can get close to him. He'll be able to watch Kieth's mind unravel further as he struggles to solve the puzzle laid out for him.

Kieth sighs. Don't screw this up. He's so close...

"I can't talk about this." The words 'I'm sorry' rest on the tip of his tongue, but he can't apologize. He won't apologize to this fucker. Not when he's Erika's potential killer.

"I know."

They both sigh, and look each other in the eyes again. Maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's because he's felt isolated as of late, but something inside him craves to be close to someone. To  _Gilbert_ , of all people. How pathetic.  _You invite a suspect over to interrogate him and all you can think about is screwing him? What the hell is wrong with you?_

He tears his gaze away from the other man, focusing on a knot in the table's wood. He feels woozy; he hates to feel so out of control. This was a terrible idea. He nurses the cup of coffee that's been sitting untouched on the table, and his friend does the same, the both of them at a loss of things to talk about.

"I should go," Gilbert finally offers, the slur in his words more noticeable than before.

"Yeah," he replies. "Yeah, you should."

The doctor stands quietly, trying his damnedest to walk straight as he heads to the door- and failing miserably. Kieth's head shoots up as he sees him approaching the exit, his mind reeling while he tries to think of what to say.

"Gilbert-" he says, perhaps a little too loud. "Maybe you should take a taxi home."

He laughs a little at Kieth's words. It's funny- he's playing with Kieth's head and yet the man can't seem to chase off his concern for him.

"You're right... I shouldn't be driving like this. What about my car?" 

"You can pick it up later."

"Alright. Tomorrow?"

"That's fine with me."

It's a little difficult for Gilbert to dial the number, which amuses Kieth. He doesn't laugh, but he's definitely grinning as he watches him. Gilbert stumbles out the door as the cab arrives, waving the other man off. He returns the gesture, immediately making his way to the window to watch the doctor crawl into the cab.

That went well.


End file.
